Mass Effect:Interlude
by Savagesavant
Summary: The untold two months between the destruction of Sovereign and the death of John Shepard
1. Elevators

Mass Effect: Interlude

Written by Humbleguy

Edited by Silverrose208

(Takes place between the destruction of sovereign and the death of commander John Shepard. This is my first fan fiction, but please be open with any criticisms.)

He had won. He had beaten Saren, Sovereign, and the geth. Yet John Shepard still was still on the move. He still had one enemy to face. One that was just as dangerous if not more so. He had been stalking it from a distance. He needed it to become separated. His only chance was to corner it and even then it would not be an easy fight. After several minutes the figure began to make it's way to an elevator on the far side of the room.

He moved quickly and silently on his prey. His timing was perfect. They both entered the elevator at the same time. She didn't noticed him until it was too late.

"Skipper" Ash stated plainly.

"Chief" He responded in the same tone.

They both stepped onto opposite sides of the elevator. The sluggish elevator door was taking its sweet time closing. His eyes wandered to her. He couldn't help but admire her hips, her tan skin(a rarity when serving in space), and her delicate face. She raised an eyebrow. _Shit_, he inwardly cursed himself. She had caught him staring.

When they got about halfway to the CIC he hit the emergency stop button and positioned himself on the elevator wall across from her. Ash didn't move, she didn't flinch, for a second it didn't even look like she was breathing.

"We need to talk." He finally broke the silence, looking at the ground to avoid her gaze.

"Oh? What about?" She said smirking. He sighed to himself. She wasn't going to take him seriously, not after she caught his lingering eyes.

"I can't do this Willia-" he started

"You can stop a rogue spectre, an army of geth, and a genocidal warship, but you can't be with me?" she cut him off mid-sentence. It was a fair point. One that he had considered before coming to talk to her.

He changed the subject. "Ash, we're back with the alliance now. And the alliance has rules about this shit."

She stared at the ground for a few moments then returned her gaze at him. His eyes were glued on the floor trying not to acknowledge her. But she took a step forward and his resolve wavered. His eyes betrayed him and channeled all his affection for her into her own eyes. _Look away _he cursed himself. But each step she took seemed to further lock his eyes to her. She stood inches from him, when she finally stopped her advance. It took every fiber of his being to restrain himself from her. She let out a small laugh at his effort, and a smirk spread across her face. Before he could stop her, Ash's arms shot around the back of his head and pulled her lips to his. He lingered before pushing her back towards the other side of the elevator. "Skipper you're not getting rid of me that easy." She said determined to stand her ground.

He knew she wouldn't be deterred by something as small as regs. But this wasn't about her feelings for him, or his for her.

"Williams, you know as well as I do that if the alliance get wind of this. Your military career will be over!" His tone was harsh and desperate. "You're throwing away everything you've worked for! Everything your father worked for!"

"I know the risks, Shepard! and I sure as hell don't need you to protect me." She barked at him, tears welling up in her eyes. He sighed, he shouldn't have mentioned her father. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"I know that, Williams. But I'll be damned if I don't want to." He spoke softly and she seemed to forgive him for what he said. she placed a hand on his shoulder. But he shook it off.

"Williams, you're going to get hurt. There isn't any other way this is going to end. I wish I could do this, I honestly do. But I've only come this far by having nothing to lose." He tried not to look at her as he spoke.

"Then let me give you something to fight for." She said reaching for his face. She tried to kiss him again but he caught her and slammed her into the wall on his left.

"God damn it, this isn't a game, Ash!" He hissed, fighting, and failing, to keep his frustration in check. He watched helplessly as Ashley winced, her gaze returning to the floor between them. They were both quiet for several seconds. He rubbed his forehead, his chest tightening at the realization that those were the exact words he'd said to her before they last made love. He cursed under his breath, unnerved by the obvious hurt he had caused her, and further unnerved that she would so plainly allow him to see it.

At the prompt, she quietly looked up at him again, her brown eyes full of a gentle pleading. Something had changed.

"This isn't an act, Shepard-" she replied simply, her voice assuming the soft tone she often favored when reciting poetry. As her lips began to close the gap between them, she added, "-but you'll learn."


	2. Home

Mass Effect: Interlude

Chapter 2

Home

"Shit.." he whispered as two heavy thuds came from the door to his quarters. He looked back to Ashley but she had somehow thrown on her clothes faster than he had gotten them off of her. Two more loud thuds rang from the door and he scrambled out of the sheets mind panicking. "One sec." He said to the door as his voice slightly cracking. He jumped into his pants and threw on his shirt as Ash panicked looking for someplace to hide. As he reached the door she settled on pressing herself against the wall next to the door. It slid open...

"Shepard..."

"Wrex..."

There was a long unbearable silence between them. Shepard rubbed the back of his neck panicked and feeling very awkward Wrex was the last person he had expected. Wrex chuckled roughly to himself. Shepard could literally feel Ashley tense up.

_It's like he can smell our fear._

"Is there something you need, Wrex?" He asked as calmly as he could.

Wrex finished chuckling but still carried a wicked smirk that made Shepard uneasy."Actually, yeah there is. I need the Normandy to take a small detour."

"Wrex were on a mission-" he started

"It won't take more then two hours." Wrex interrupted. When Shepard stared at him unconvinced he added "and you owe me for Virmire."

"Fine." he conceded wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible. Wrex turned and began lumbering his way back to the elevator, when Shepard realized he had no idea where they were going.

"Where are we headed?" Shepard asked as the krogan lumbered out of sight.

"Home" Wrex boomed from around the corner.

The door slid close inches from his face. Ashley slumped down the wall.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." She said face in her face in her hands

Shepard smirked as he knelt down beside her.

"Guess I'm not the only one with blue balls."

After walking off the punch in the gut he received, Shepard decided to go check on Wrex. He was lumbering near the armor lockers putting together the krogan equivalent of a back pack. It was as large as a duffel bag that krogan wore over their lower backs. Also it's just the right size to fit a non-krogan body inside.

_It's not weird that I know that_

Shepard made his way up to the krogan who acknowledged his presence with a brief grunt.

"What are you up to Wrex?" Shepard inquired.

"Packing." Wrex stated simply

"You're going back to the krogan homeworld?" Shepard asked crossing his arms as the krogan kept loading his pack with weapons and supplies.

"It's called Tuchanka," he corrected."and yes I have to go back." Done packing he zipped up the sides of the bag.

"Why? I thought you gave up."Shepard asked.

Wrex shrugged and replied. "I changed my mind."

"Was it Virmire?" Shepard asked. It had been a couple of weeks but Shepard remembered how Wrex was about to turn on to save his people. Shepard was glad that he was able to convince Wrex that Saren would enslave the krogan. He didn't like the idea of killing someone for trying to save their people.

Wrex crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to the armor lockers. "Partially, Virmire made me realize my greatest weakness. I thought I could just stand by and watch my people die out, but I can't."

"I don't see that as a weakness. You have something to fight for." Shepard said remembering an earlier conversation with Ashley.

Wrex shook his head. "Even so, I was being a pup. This hunt for Saren has taught me how insignificant my father was. I was going to let one stubborn krogan stop me from leading my people to a better future. If I give up now I make him a martyr for his cause. I refuse to let that happen. "

Joker interrupted them over the intercom. "Wrex we're almost to the LZ you specified. If you want to say good bye to the crew you might want to do it now."

"Thanks but no thanks. Krogan aren't really that sentimental Joker." Wrex replied to the intercom. He strapped on his krogan duffel bag and made his way to the garage door. Shepard followed him despite his previous statement.

"Too bad, I was going to make you a card that said how much I appreciate all the time we've spent together. Especially the time you shattered my foot." Joker replied sarcastically

Wrex "It's not my fault you didn't watch where you were stepping, or rather who was stepping near you. Besides, now I can finally say I've beaten someone with my little toe."

The landing zone Wrex had chosen was some kind of old unused weigh station. As the garage door opened a heavy wind started to whip dust into the garage. The Normandy hovered just a few feet above the irradiated ground.

"You know Wrex if you ever need anything. You know how to reach me." Shepard said feeling a bit sentimental himself.

"Don't worry Shepard, I already consider you my krantt." Wrex said as they walked onto the vehicle incline hovering above the ground.

Shepard chuckled to himself. "What is that, 'krogan' for friend?"

"No Shepard, you and Garrus are friends. You and Ashley are.." Wrex smirked making air-quotes with his fingers. "Friends _with benefits_. You and I are krantt."

"Wrex you can't tell-" Shepard started before Wrex interrupted him.

"I'm your krantt, Shepard. I wouldn't betray you like that." And with that the krogan warlord leapt to the ground below. Leaving Shepard standing in the garage, relieved and happy from Wrex's newly found spirit.


End file.
